Pietikäinen A, Siitonen R, Liljenbäck H, Eskola O, Söderström M, Roivainen A, Hytönen J
a Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology , University of Turku , Turku , Finland.
b Turku Doctoral Programme for Molecular Medicine , University of Turku , Turku , Finland.
Scand J Rheumatol. 2018 Jan;47(1):37-47. doi: 10.1080/03009742.2017.1287306. Epub 2017 Jun 26.
Lyme borreliosis (LB) is a tick-borne infectious disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi spirochaetes, which are able to disseminate from the tick-bite site to distant organs. Mouse models are widely used to study LB and especially Lyme arthritis (LA), but only a few whole-animal in vivo imaging studies on the pathogenesis of B. burgdorferi infection in mice have been published so far. The existing imaging techniques have their drawbacks and, therefore, novel tools to complement the array of available LB imaging methodologies are needed.
The applicability of positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging was evaluated as a method to monitor LB and especially LA in the C3H/HeN mouse model infected with wild-type B. burgdorferi N40 bacteria. The imaging results were compared with the traditional LA analysis methods, such as tibiotarsal joint swelling and histopathological assessment of joint inflammation.
PET/CT imaging provided high-resolution images with quantitative information on the spatial and temporal distribution of the [F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([F]FDG) tracer in B. burgdorferi-infected mice. The [F]FDG accumulated in the affected joints and activated lymph nodes of infected mice, while the tracer signal could not be visualized in these organs in uninfected control animals. Importantly, in vivo PET/CT imaging data were in agreement with the histopathological scoring of inflammation of mouse joints.
PET/CT imaging with [F]FDG is a reliable method to longitudinally monitor the development and progression of B. burgdorferi infection-induced inflammation in vivo in mouse joints.
莱姆病（LB）是一种由伯氏疏螺旋体引起的蜱传感染性疾病，该螺旋体能从蜱叮咬部位扩散至远处器官。小鼠模型被广泛用于研究莱姆病，尤其是莱姆关节炎（LA），但迄今为止，仅有少数关于小鼠伯氏疏螺旋体感染发病机制的全动物体内成像研究发表。现有的成像技术存在缺陷，因此需要新的工具来补充现有的莱姆病成像方法。
评估正电子发射断层扫描与计算机断层扫描（PET/CT）成像作为监测感染野生型伯氏疏螺旋体N40细菌的C3H/HeN小鼠模型中莱姆病尤其是莱姆关节炎的方法的适用性。将成像结果与传统的莱姆关节炎分析方法进行比较，如跗关节肿胀和关节炎症的组织病理学评估。
PET/CT成像提供了高分辨率图像，包含有关[F]氟脱氧葡萄糖（[F]FDG）示踪剂在伯氏疏螺旋体感染小鼠体内的空间和时间分布的定量信息。[F]FDG在感染小鼠的受累关节和活化淋巴结中积聚，而在未感染的对照动物的这些器官中无法观察到示踪剂信号。重要的是，体内PET/CT成像数据与小鼠关节炎症的组织病理学评分一致。
[F]FDG的PET/CT成像是纵向监测小鼠关节内伯氏疏螺旋体感染诱导的炎症在体内发展和进展的可靠方法。
